9 Tips For Better Practice

No matter how well you play, it’s simply human nature to want to play better. Go to any driving range and you’ll see all kinds of people looking for the “secret” to a better swing. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to practice effectively. When you are on the range, you get to hit a shot about every 30 seconds or so. The short time in between shots gives you a chance to get your timing just right to compensate for any swing errors. On the golf course you don’t have this advantage. Because you only hit the ball about every five minutes, you lose the precise timing you need to compensate for swing errors.

If you struggle to bring your “range game” to the course, the following tips will help.

1. Always use an alignment aid. Lay down clubs or use a board. You need to know where you are aimed before you begin making swing adjustments.

2. Make two purposeful practice swings for every ball you hit on the range. The best way to make swing changes is to perform correct repetitions of the desired change. Simply hitting balls doesn’t guarantee you are making any actual changes.

3. Mirrors make great teachers. Use a mirror to check you set-up, grip and any other parts of your swing. Scientific studies show that motor-learning skills are increased by 70% when visual and kinesthetic feel are combined.

4. Remember to practice your short game. Practice your putting and wedge play at least 50% of the time. Your scores are mostly influenced by how well you chip and putt.

5. Change your target every so often on the range as you hit balls.

6. Keep a notebook in your golf bag and take notes on what you are working on for each practice session. Record swing thoughts and feels, especially when you are hitting the ball well. This information can be helpful to you at a later time.

7. At the end of a session hitting balls on the range, hit 10 different balls at 10 different targets, never hitting the same club twice. This will tell you how well you are actually hitting the ball. Remember, you can get into a rhythm on the range hitting ball after ball. You hit the ball approximately every 30 seconds on the range and every 5 minutes on the golf course

8. Be aware of your ball flight. The ball is your teacher. Observe how the ball flies and you can learn what position your clubface was in at impact and the direction your ball started tells you the direction of the of the forward swing path.

9. Practice in short focused sessions. It’s better to learn golf a little at time, than in one long, marathon session.